Thread by @washingtonpost

K-pop has a distinct recipe for creating global hits: A catchy hook song, signature dance and flashy video are packaged for social media, where a devoted fan base gives the song a life of its own.

This method helped make K-pop an international phenomenon. wapo.st/3i6xomV

Many K-pop songs follow a classic song-writing style: an intro and a verse with hooks in the chorus. These “hook songs” emphasize catchiness through devices like repetition.

Get the full audio experience: wapo.st/3i6xomV

Like the crab dance in “Gee” or the “Up & Down” dance, most K-pop videos contain a signature dance move — called point dances — that are intentionally easy to imitate.

This makes it easy for fans to share as dance challenges on Twitter and TikTok. wapo.st/3i6xomV

Of the 10 music videos with the most views in their first 24 hours, nine are songs by the K-pop groups Blackpink and BTS.

Today, roughly 90 percent of views for K-pop videos on YouTube come from outside of South Korea. wapo.st/3i6xomV

Now, #KpopTwitter is the largest shared-interest group on the platform.

In 2020, there were nearly 6.7 billion K-pop-related tweets globally. In the first six months of the pandemic, there were 28 percent more tweets about K-pop than covid-19. wapo.st/3i6xomV

K-pop fans use Twitter to coordinate the use of specific hashtags — called a “total attack” — to support artists.

Through these “attacks,” they publicize information about everything from streaming a video to voting participation and award celebrations. wapo.st/3i6xomV

Most groups’ fandoms have physical identifiers — colors 💜, names 🍭, glowsticks 💎 and chants ⚫🎀.

Fans are actively involved with how the groups are portrayed online, going so far as to reorganize search keywords and keep track of negative comments. wapo.st/3i6xomV

Industry insiders say BTS fans will buy everything the group touches, from cars to dolls.

The group’s recent McDonald's collaboration was so popular that some used bags with the BTS logo are selling for thousands, with one bid as high as $20,000, on eBay. wapo.st/3i6xomV

For many K-pop fans, it’s not just about the music, but the sense of community.

“It feels like one ginormous family,” said Jackie Alvarez, the chief financial officer of the US BTS ARMY. “We can … give back to them what they’re giving back to us.” wapo.st/3i6xomV